Drag Bike: A 130 hp nitrous-fueled Indian Scout Bobber

Right now, thousands of fans and motorcycles are converging on Monza for The Reunion—a weekend-long celebration of custom motorcycle culture. It’s also where the first round of the Sultans of Sprint sprint race series is happening. And that means that a whole lot of new race bikes are breaking cover.

This is the first one we’ve seen this season, and it’s set the bar impossibly high. Named ‘Appaloosa,’ it’s a 2018-model Indian Scout Bobber that’s been masterfully overhauled by Brice Hennebert, at Workhorse Speedshop in Belgium.

The bike was commissioned by Indian’s European office, to compete in the ‘Factory’ class at Sultans of Sprint. The class is for four-strokes only, but there’s no limit on engine capacity—provided your power-to-weight ratio doesn’t exceed 0.65 hp/kg.

With a 30 hp nitrous boost bringing the Scout’s total output to 130 hp, and a 42 kg weight saving, Brice is spot on. But it wasn’t easy; there’s over 700 hours of work in this monstrous sprinter. That’s because Sultans of Sprint isn’t just about going fast—it’s about looking flash, too.

Just the aluminum bodywork alone took Brice seven weeks to shape. It’s dominated by a massive front fairing, which takes inspiration from 1920s trains, 1940s Formula One cars, and the legendary F-86 Sabre fighter jet. And the tail section is a nod to 80s GP two-strokes.

There’s a heck of a lot of detail to take in. Brice has used quarter-turn fasteners throughout, so that bits of the fairing can come off quickly for maintenance. The fairing bracket is custom too, and consists of two parts (the lower bit gets removed when the bike goes on the dyno).

Brice had a fair bit of fabrication to get through out back too. The section under the dual shock mounts was far too chunky for his tastes, so he cut it up as much as he could, before reinforcing it with tubed sections.

There’s a new subframe, and new foot peg hangars too. And a “home brewed extended swing arm.”

Indian did ask Brice to leave some of the original Scout intact, so he obliged…sort of.

The original tank is still in play—although it’s been narrowed by 10 cm, and merely acts as a cover now. Hiding underneath it is a 2,5 liter fuel cell, just adequate for sprints.

Brice’s handiwork is matched by an equally impressive parts spec. There’s fully adjustable Öhlins suspension at both ends, and an Öhlins steering damper.

Stopping the beast after each sprint is a complete Beringer 4D Aerotec braking system. It’s a setup that uses two discs per caliper, for maximum grip and reduced inertia (yes, you read right).

Beringer also supplied the handlebar controls, and CNC machined a lot of smaller parts that Brice had designed. Rounding out the package are a a set of clip ons, a custom top triple tree, and an AutoTech tacho.

Oh, and there’s a comprehensive performance tuning spec too.

This Indian Scout Bobber now features a direct intake, a racing ECU and Power Commander, and a Nitrous Oxide injection system, with the bottle housed in the tail hump.

It also has a full Akrapovič exhaust system, but not one that you can order online. Brice took the bike to Akrapovič HQ for them to custom build the system, specifically for this bike.

Power is sent to the back wheel via a chain, rather than a belt, and there’s a quick-shifter to keep gear shifts slick. The cooling system’s also been lightened and upgraded, with a bunch of components from Vibrant Performance.

We asked Brice if there are any details he’s left out, and he replied: “Thousands.” And we believe him too. We’d give anything to spend an afternoon alone in a garage with this monster, just to examine it properly.

We’re too afraid to actually ride it though, so we’ll leave that to the pros. Thankfully, Appaloosa will be piloted by none other than MotoGP legend, Randy Mamola.

It’s a special occasion for Indian too—this year is the 100th anniversary of the Scout, so Randy will be wearing special Alpinestars leathers that hark back to the uniforms of the original Indian Wrecking Crew.

“After putting so much into this build,” says Brice, “I’m excited to see the reaction to it and I can’t wait to see Randy blast it down the racetrack.”